Syracuse hasn't lost at home to a non-conference opponent in nearly four years, and that dominance doesn't seem likely to end against Princeton.
The sixth-ranked Orange aren't taking the Tigers lightly as they try to keep rolling at the Carrier Dome on Wednesday night.
Syracuse (2-0) has won 33 in a row at home against non-conference foes by an average of 24.4 points since a loss to Cleveland State on Dec. 15, 2008. Part of that staggering stretch is included in the Orange's 23-game overall winning streak as host, and both of those runs continued with Sunday's 88-57 victory over Wagner.
"I think that's what's good about our team is that we respect every team and we scout every team the same," sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams said. "We don't scout one team more than the other. We respect the players of the other teams, and we don't take any team lightly."
That mentality seems to be holding true against Princeton (1-2), despite the Orange owning a 24-9 advantage in the all-time series and winning five in a row since a loss in 1964. They took the most recent matchup 56-45 on Nov. 12, 2004.
"It's going to be a good game for us," Carter-Williams said. "I think they're going to do a lot of backdoor cuts and a lot of movement on offense. So it's going to be a good game for us to work on our zone and hopefully come out with the win."
Carter-Williams had just six points on 2-of-7 shooting Sunday, but contributed 11 assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. That came a week after he had career highs of 17 points and five steals in a season-opening 62-49 win over then-No. 20 San Diego State on the USS Midway.
Backcourt mate Brandon Triche has hit 14 of 25 shots from the floor and leads Syracuse with 36 points through two games after scoring 21 with seven rebounds against the Seahawks.
The Orange are holding opponents to 29.8 percent shooting from the field and 17.1 percent from 3-point range. They allowed 38.3 percent shooting - 33.4 from beyond the arc - while going 16-1 against non-conference foes last season.
"You've got to get down and play good defense, just like man-to-man and you've got to keep the guy in front of you," coach Jim Boeheim said. "I think overall, we're doing a good job on the defensive end, getting around screens and keeping people outside so they can shoot from the perimeter."
Princeton is shooting 38.2 percent overall and 29.2 percent from long range, hitting only 15 of 47 (31.9 percent) from the field in Friday's 58-52 loss to Rutgers. That was three days after the Tigers squandered an 18-point lead in a 67-66 defeat to Northeastern.
Ian Hummer scored 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting against the Huskies, but the senior forward struggled through foul trouble Friday, managing a season-low 10 points.
Princeton has lost 25 in a row to teams ranked in the top 10, dating to a win over No. 2 Notre Dame in 1977.
